Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine says he does not know whether the National Gas Company (NGC) hired preferred government contractor Super Industrial Services (SIS) to backfill the Caroni swamp to stock pipes for the $1 billion Beetham Wastewater Treatment project. NGC was named as the State agency involved in the scandal which was highlighted exclusively by the T&T Guardian last month. The landfill is now being cleared but it is uncertain whether taxpayers are footing this bill.
In an interview yesterday, Ramnarine said he had launched an investigation to determine whether NGC was involved in the project. “I have no information about this. All I know is from what I read in the newspapers but now that you have raised it, I will investigate,” Ramnarine said. In an immediate response, president of NGC Indar Maharaj denied its involvement, saying it never gave permission to any contractor to backfill the swamp.
Maharaj said he did not know why NGC was named in the issue. “It is political season so all kinds of things are being said. I want to reiterate that NGC has no role in that project. We have nothing to do with the backfilling of the swamp. I don’t know what the details are about the costs because we have nothing to do with that,” Maharaj said. Asked whether SIS was acting on its own, Maharaj said: “As far as I am aware SIS has the contract to do the Beetham recycle project.
A source, who requested anonymity, said NGC had hired SIS to backfill the swamp to stock pipes for the Beetham project, a contract which SIS won even though its bid was $400 million more than the closest bidder Altatec. When the T&T Guardian highlighted the destruction of the swamp, the EMA gave instructions for the project to be terminated as it contravened environmental laws. EMA chairman Dr Allan Bachan said an order was given for the entire area to be rehabilitated.
He said once the landfill is removed, the road on the boundary of the Caroni River will be removed as that was facilitating illegal activity. He also said squatting would not be tolerated in the swamp and mangroves would be replanted. Since the EMA shut down the site and ordered the removal of backfill material, more than a dozen sub-contractors have been removing the landfill but it is unclear who is shouldering the costs. Workers at the site said they were being paid by SIS.
Squatters want compensation
Meanwhile, John Mc Leod, a farmer who has been planting watermelons on the boundary of the backfilled area denied illegal activity was taking place at the site. He said before SIS entered the area, he had watermelons and coconuts on the State-owned land. “I am not the only squatter here. I had about 50 to 60 coconut trees here and when SIS came they bulldozed everything. A man named Mr Jones told me he will backfill a part on the eastern side for me to plant. He said he had big connections with the government,” Mc Leod said.
He added: “Our parents and grandparents have been planting in the swamp for more than 50 years and the road they now want to dig up was there long time.” Mc Leod said he intended to plant on a big scale. “Right now I have about three quarter of an acre with watermelons. I already plant back the coconut trees,” Mc Leod added. He also said since the gravel road on the northern boundary of the river was built more people have been able to camp, fish and plant in the swamp.
Contacted for comment yesterday, SIS director Terrence Lalla said he was in a meeting and could not answer any questions about the matter.